Spencer's At The Waterfront

Restaurant was very noisy as it was full. Difficult to hear conversation. Nice service, food was good, and server was very polite and efficient.

My recent dinner at Spencers was a perfect example of how truly exceptional hospitality can turn a small issue into a memorable highlight. My wife had ordered KOBE beef burger. When the plate arrived, the presentation was lovely, but upon her biting into the patty, it was undeniably rare and undercooked. Although we both like medium burgers for their juiciness, my wife is pregnant and cannot enjoy due to medical reasons. Now, let's be honest: in the rush of a busy dinner service, kitchen errors do happen. That is simply a fact of the industry. What differentiates a mediocre restaurant from a truly outstanding one is the recovery, and the team at Spencers executed a flawless, five-star recovery. We also noticed that a manager touched every table to ensure everything was OK. Manager Daniel approached our table, offered a genuine, warm apology and whisked the plate away, promising to take it off our bill (this was not requested or needed) The recovery that followed went far beyond the simple expectation of a corrected meal. The manager immediately informed us that the entire cost of the burger would be removed from our bill and even surprised us by preparing and dropping off a new one for us to take home. (Agin not requested or needed) We left the restaurant feeling profoundly special and deeply valued. The entire staff, from the kitchen to the floor, treated the mistake not as an annoyance, but as an opportunity to truly shine and earn our loyalty. They didn't just fix an order; they actively sought to spoil us and ensure we had a fantastic evening. This level of dedication makes Spencers a place we will happily return to again and again.

Jon and the lovely people at Spencer's never disappoint. Thanks again for a wonderful evening.

Lovely decor for Christmas, burrata appetizer was delish, all mains were excellent, service was attentive & excellent & they brought a slice of chocolate mousse dessert to celebrate a birthday at our table. We will visit again.

Date night.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Yesterday 3 of us enjoyed a memorable lunch. Scott, our waiter was helpful and attentive. The decor and setting by the water was calming and conducive to great conversations. And the Nova Scotia lobster rolls preceded by the yummy in-house buns hit the spot. We'll be back.

Was there for a wedding and it was amazing food and the staff were very friendly..and it's a lovely restaurant..will go back for dinner with a friend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

First time there and overall disappointed for that price range. The company I was with, made it worth it! They had 4 greeters at the front desk that looked absolutely clueless- when asked about parking at the restaurant. A very limited and disappointing drink selection menu. Food presentation is great and so is the taste. Disappointed with meal substitutions. Limitations there as well. Server didn't ask if anyone has any allergies. Which I was surprised about. She seemed tired and over her shift. 2/5 wouldn't recommend.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 2

To start, my wife ordered the falafel, and I ordered the crabcakes for appetizers. The crabcakes were very good and the falafel was tasty but too dry. For the main course my wife ordered a pesto pasta, and I ordered the large (whole) lobster Thermador. The pasta was more of a cream sauce than pesto and as it was so heavy my wife was not able to eat it. My lobster Thermador was not good, and I would never order it again. It was such a tiny lobster (no more than a pound) there was almost no meat. They seemed to try and make it look larger by adding lots of tiny scallops to the mix. The unbelievable part was the whole lobster was buried in vegetables which took some time to try and separate them from the lobster. So little lobster for such a large price. They did give a small discount on the lobster but nothing for my wife. I had 1 martini and 2 glasses of wine and the bill for this disaster still ended up at $330 with a modest tip. In our opinion this restaurant is a waste of money.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 3

Delicious deserts, I had to get two because of the new autumn menu. Consider them a win as both the berry cheesecake and apple pie crème brûlée were fantastic, bringing out incredibly developed flavours. I can also vouch for there lobster. The atmosphere in the restaurant is fantastic even on a gloomy rainy evening in fall, infact that made the atmosphere even better. The views are fantastic the food is great and the service is lovely.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Update:
Spencer’s invited us back for a dinner to make up for our previous experience, and I’m happy to say they fully redeemed themselves. Chris once again delivered exceptional service, and the kitchen served a proper 12 oz prime rib that was tender, flavourful, and far better prepared than our first visit. The burrata and oyster Rockefeller were delicious and beautifully presented. Both Hannah and Daniel made a point to introduce themselves, and the entire team made us feel valued rather than “difficult.” Big improvement, and we really appreciated the effort.
Beautiful view and great server, but the management was disorganized, unprofessional, and made a simple dinner far more frustrating than it should’ve been. Chris the general manager handled my review with grace and as a learning experience. We will happily dine with Spencer’s again.

Original review:
My partner and I had a nice meal at Spencer’s at the Waterfront, but the management experience really soured the night. Their website and weekly newsletter both advertised the Sunday Roast Beef Dinner at $60 per person, but OpenTable showed $70. I called ahead, both the hostess and manager insisted it was $70, and they requested I text proof from their own website. They agreed and I asked them to make sure my bill reflected $60 when we arrive to avoid any drama.

When the bill came, of course, we were charged $70. Our wonderful server (not his fault) said the manager had meant to fix it but forgot. The bill had to be corrected THREE TIMES, and the manager never once came by to apologize, she only apologized to the server, not to us.

We later learned the price changed two weeks ago, so the confusion was clearly internal. The prime rib was tasty but definitely not 12 oz, and the sides were tiny: one tiny heirloom carrot, a fingerling potato halved, a quarter of a beet, half an oyster mushroom, one piece of broccolini, and a sprinkle of microgreens. The portion felt minimal and the overall value disappointing for the price point.

Overall, the view was beautiful and the server was great, but management was disorganized and unprofessional.
I use to hold my birthday brunch party here annually but have moved on to other places.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 3

We had the most incredible meal, with the most amazing service provided by Ian. Truly have never experienced such attentive, thoughtful, and courteous service.

Water glass always full, food promptly served, and drinks made to perfection.

We will be back ❤️

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Lovely decor, fantastic view of Lake Ontario, great menu, excellent service and the food is expertly prepared and tastes great.

After almost a year, I finally had an amazing get-together with my friends at Spencer's — and it was absolutely worth the wait. I started with a dozen fresh oysters and a glass of Palmer Champagne, followed by a Nova Scotia lobster roll that was simply outstanding. The food, the atmosphere, and the whole experience were perfect. Definitely one of the best brunches I've had in a long time.

The occasion was for an employee's anniversary. It was our first time at your restaurant. We had a great culinary experience and enjoyed the evening view of the lake and atmosphere. The apple pie brulee dessert I had was delicious and very different, like no other. Our waiter was friendly and very attentive during our time there.